Gulick easily wins re-election

Incumbent Kris Gulick easily won re-election to his District 1 City Council seat tonight.

Gulick  captured 2,705 votes, or 64 percent of the 4,228 votes cast in the northeast Cedar Rapids district.

Tim Pugh had 809 votes, for 19.1 percent of the total.

Ryan Russell had 695 votes, for 16.4 percent.

Pugh, of Cedar Rapids Tea Party fame, has criticized the current council for raising property taxes. Russell has criticized the council for not improving the roads.

At a public forum, Gulick, 50, a certified public accountant and business consultant, took on both with the same comment: The City Council has raised property taxes to tackle what other councils have ignored - fixing streets.

Gulick says the City Council, which is nearly four years into a new form of government with a part-time council and full-time city manager, has created a community vision, developed a strategic plan and established a long-term financial plan.

Gulick says he sought re-election because he believed his business background can help guide the city through “financial complexities” as it rebuilds from the June 2008 flood. His experience in the council/manager government will help it work even better, he says.